


More Sheepdog Trials

by Dearieforever



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 04:11:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16032713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dearieforever/pseuds/Dearieforever
Summary: When Bae is feeling sad over not having a mother, how will Imp cheer him up?





	More Sheepdog Trials

Bae, Archer, and Morraine spent many happy days playing together. They would play hide and seek, tag, and all the other games children love. The days usually ended the same way, when Enid would call in Morraine and Edme would call in Archer. Rumple would come calling Bae for supper. Bae never thought much about it, until one day it hit him that his two best friends were called home at night by their mothers. He loved his Papa, but he realized his mother would never be the one to tell him supper was ready, to ask if he had fun with his friends, or tell him she loved him.

Morraine realized that something was wrong that day, and looked back at Bae.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. You go on ahead Morraine. Papa will be calling me in in a minuet,” Bae answered. He sat down to wait, not feeling like walking home just yet. That was when Hordor walked up to him with a grin.

“What you doing alone kid?” Hordor asked.

“I'm not alone,” Bae said, trying to hide that he'd been nearly overwhelmed with emotion. “My Papa will be here in a moment.”

“But not your Mama,” Hordor pointed out. He'd seen the other children with their mothers, and had guessed what Bae was thinking.“Died of a fever, a few days after you were born didn't she?”

Every muscle in Bae's body tensed and his stomach flipped.

“What are you saying?” Bae asked, his voice heavy with anger.

“Oh I think you know,” Hordor replied with a grin. He would have continued, but a loud growl was heard. Imp reserved that growl of total loathing for only two people, Hordor and Beowulf, and Imp being close meant Rumple was not far behind. The dog ran strait to Bae, who hugged him tightly. Rumple and Hordor's eyes met, and although Rumple hadn't overheard, it wasn't hard to guess Hordor had been bothering Bae.

“Well if it isn't the spinner mage,” Hordor commented casually. He would never have let on he was afraid of Rumple since the night he'd tried to steal Rumple's sheep and learned the hard way that Rumple had magic. Only Hordor's father being friends with the Duke let Hordor off with a light sentence. His reputation in the village was forever destroyed though. “Done doing a woman's work for the day?”

“I don't see any shame in doing the work that let my aunts live independent lives, or continuing the trade taught to me by a man who's as good as my father,” Rumple told him. “But then, a sheep thief would look down on any honest work I suppose.”

Hordor looked like he wanted to attack Rumple, but knew better. He chose to insult him instead. He called after him as he turned to walk away.

“Think bringing that up makes you big, little man?”

Rumple may have been below average height, but his confidence made him seem giant next to Hordor as he faced him.

“You ever approach my boy again, or hurt any member of my family in any way, and you'll find my height has nothing to do with my abilities. Sending you flying the way I did that night is the least I can do. Push me, and you'll find bad things tend to happen to bad people.”

“Is that a threat?” Hordor asked.

“An observation,” Rumple answered.

Imp hadn't stopped growling the whole time, his lips rolled back to show his teeth. It was only a warning, but one word from Rumple or Bae and he would have torn into Hordor.

“Call of your dog,” Hordor said. He remembered when Imp had locked onto is arm once before.

“He hasn't done anything yet. He won't unless he has to, and I wouldn't think much of a dog who wouldn't defend his family.” Then he looked at Bae. “Come on, son. Supper is ready.”

Rumple had an arm around Bae's shoulders as they walked, and Imp nuzzled Bae's hand.

“It wasn't just him, Papa,” Bae said quietly after a moment. 

“Then what's wrong?” Rumple asked in concern.

“I was just thinking how you always come get me when I'm done playing if I'm not already home. Archer and Morraine's mothers are the ones getting them.”

Rumple hugged him close.

“I'm sorry, Bae.” Rumple thought about all the times when he missed Milah, but at least he had memories to look back on. Bae didn't even have that. Father and son talked about her, but Bae didn't bring up what Hordor had implied, that her death was Bae's fault.

Imp didn't understand all that was happening or being said. He only knew his master's son, the boy who understood animals so well, was unhappy. He could change that! He could make Bae laugh! A memory from Imp's puppy hood came to mind. He remembered when he'd made the humans laugh before. He could do that again!

Rumple had taught Imp that he wasn't supposed to herd sheep that didn't belong to them, but this was for a good reason. This was for Bae. They no longer lived in their old hovel. Imp couldn't just go through the cloth door. Early the next morning he yipped at the door, asking to go out. Bae sleepily opened the door for him, and since it was going to be a hot day, he left it open to tempt in a breeze. 

Imp took off happily for the hills he knew were being grazed on by the sheep Cluney and Erwyn kept. It wasn't long before he was once again driving their sheep through the door of his family's home and everyone was being woken up by the noise of the sheep. 

“Not again,” Rumple groaned. “Imp you know better now!” Even he had to laugh though, and Bae was laughing most of all. Imp barked joyfully, his tail wagging so fast it was only a blur. It had worked! He had made Bae laugh! 

“He did it for me, Papa,” Bae understood. “He wanted to cheer me up after yesterday.”

The way Imp was practically bouncing, jumping up to lick Bae's face, left no doubt who he'd done this for. Rumple petted his canine friend.

“Good boy, Imp. Good boy, making Bae happy.”

Cluney and Erwyn joined in saying what a good dog Imp was when they came in, laughing too. Imp reveled in the petting and praise, and had fun herding the sheep to join Rumple's for a bit when the two men claimed they had business in the village again. The most important thing though was hearing the laughter and seeing the smiles. If Rumple and Bae were happy, all was right with the world.


End file.
